Universal joint



Aug. 22, 1939. R. L. WONDERLY 2,170,315

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Feb. 11, 1938 120mm Mam 4 Patented Aug. 22, 1939UNIT-El)- STATES PATENT OFFlCE Robert 17 8 3;, 01110 ApplicationFebruary 11, 1938, Serial No. 190,005

30laims.

The invention relates to universal and pivot joints, and moreparticularly to a universal joint including apivot block, usually twoopposite yokes, and pivot pins or trunnions, usually two for I eachyoke, separably associated with the pivot block and the yokes.

In usual universal joints, the trunnions are separably secured to eitherthe pivot block or the yokes by screw means or by wedge or other 10frictional means.

When the trunnions are screw connected with either the pivot block oryokes, the assembly and a n ly of the joint requires considerable time,and diillcuities are encountered particularly "in providing trunnionsofany desired size for strength and bearing area, and any desiredbearings therefor.

Universal joints are frequently used for connecting oppomte ends ofshafts which are mount- 20 ed so that the parts of each joint must beseparated without requiring-endwise or angled movement of either shaft.

In one proposed universal joint, shouldered trimnions are slidable intoand out of a coupling 25 member and maintained in position therein by astop member which is itself retained either by screw or wedge means; butin such joint for its assembly or disassembly, access to the stop memberretaining means must be had either through 30 the yoke bores in whichthe connected shaft ends fit. or by substantially angling the yokes andconnected shafts, making it practically impossible to use such a jointin connection with shafts which cannot be so moved or angled. 35 A usualuniversal joint includes two sets of right angled trunnions, and is aspecific form of a pivot joint, and as herein used the term pivot jointincludes any joint apparatus having two or more parts connected by oneor more pivot 40 pin The. objects of the present improvements mclude theprovision of animproved pivot joint, preferably a universal joint, inwhich the assembly and bly oi the parts thereof is ef- 48 fected by asingle positive retaining member preferably without requiring the use ofscrew threads on any of the parts, and in which all the parts areslidably releasable one from another when the retaining member isremoved, whereby very to rapid assembly and disassembiy of the joint maybe effected. V

Further objects of the present improvements include the provision of animproved pivot joint, preferably a universal joint in which all theparts as are fulliloating with respect to each other,therebytininimizing wear and enabling adequate lubrica on.

Further objects of the present improvements include the provision of animproved pivot joint, preferably a universal joint adapted for connect-.ing opposite ends. of shafts, and which may be assembled anddisassembled without longitudinal or angular displacement of the shaftsconnected thereby.

Further objects of the present improvements include the provision of animproved pivot joint, preferably a universal joint adapted for utilizingpivot pins of any desired size for attaining desired strength andbearing area, and also adapted for utilizing any desired form ofbearings for the pivot pins.

Further objects of the improvements include the provision of an improvedpivot joint, preferably a universal joint adapted for economicalproduction, and requiring relatively simple ma- 2 chining operations onthe parts thereof.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the pivot jointapparatus, parts, combinations, and sub-combinations, which comprise thepresent invention, and the nature of which is set forth in the followinggeneral statement, and preferred embodiments of which are set forth byway of example in the following description, and which are particularlyand distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims formingpart hereof.

The nature of the improved pivot joint apparatus of the presentinvention may be stated in general terms as including in a universaljoint, two yokes having a pivot block interposed therebetween, and theblock and the yokes having formed therein four sets of registeringtrunnion bores, and there being a trunnion in each set i I of bores.

The pivot block also has formed therein a 40 shouldered slide cam borecommunicating with and intersecting the inner ends of the block trun-'nion bores.

A slide cam is located in the slide cam bore and includes an enlargedhead and a reduced stem and a tapered shoulder between the head and thestem. 7

The inner ends of the trunnions abut the cam head, and the cam shoulderis opposed by the bore shoulder, and the cam stem extends outside of thepivot block when the joint is assembled.

The slide cam is maintained in assembled position by means including astop member such as a cotter pin separably engaging the cam stemretracted and also showing the slide cam moved to its positionpermitting retraction of the trunnions; and

Fig. 4, an end view of the pivot block looking towards the largeropening of the slide cam apertiire thereof.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

.The illustrated mbodiment of the improved pivot joint is in the form ofa universal joint indicated generally by It and includes a pivot blockll, two clevises or yokes l2, and a plurality of pivot pins or trunnions|3,v as shown two for each yoke, pivotally connecting the pivot blockand the yokes.

One set of two of the trunnions |3 have their longitudinal axes on anaxis of pivoting indicated by the dot-dash line l4 and the other set oftwo trunnions l3 have their longitudinal axes on an axis of pivotingindicated by the dot-dash line l5 intersecting the axis H at the centerl6 of the pivot block.

A third axis at right angles to the'axes i4 and I5 is indicated by thedot-dash line "and passes through the center of the pivot block. IS.

The pivot block has formed therein a set of two trunnion bores i8coaxial with the axis l4 and another set of two trunnion bores l3coaxial with the axis I5, each bore I8 is adapted for slidably fittingand receiving one of the trunnions l3.

The pivot block I l furthermore has formed therein aslide cam apertureas shown a shouldered or flanged bore 20 coaxial with the axis l1, andthe inner ends of the bores l3 open into and communicate with theenlarged portion 2| of the shouldered bore 26.

The shouldered bore enlarged portion 2| has an outer end opening in oneend face 22 of the pivot block I and the shouldered bore 20 fur,-thermore includes a, reduced portion 23 having an outer end opening inthe other pivot block end face 24. A

Each of the trunnion bores l3 has an outer end opening in a side face 25of the pivotblock ll, each sidewface 25 being at right angles with itsassociated pivot pin bore H3.

The yokes l2 each include two fork or U a rm members 26 which embracethe, pivot block II and each yoke arm 26 is located opposite one ofthepivot block side faces 25, preferably as shown in rotatable abutmenttherewith.

Each yoke arm member 26 has formed therein a trunnion bore 21 forslidably fitting and receiving the outer end of one of the trunnions l3.

The trunnions |3 are arranged for sliding in the pivot block bores l8cross wise of the slide cam bore 20 for extension and retraction intoand out of the yoke arm trunnion bores 21.

Means are provided for stopping displacement of each trunnion outwardlyfrom the slide cam bore, as by forming each trunnionas a shouldered pinwith an enlarged head 28 slidably fitting in its pivot block bore 3 andwith a reduced shank 23 slidably fitting in its yoke arm bore 21, andwith a shoulder or flange 36 between'the enlarged head 26 and thereduced shank 23 for abutment against the opposed face of the yoke arm23 connected by the particular trunnion l3. s

As shown and preferably, the slide cam bore enlarged portion 2| iscylindric and the reduced portion23 is also cylindric and between theenlarged portion 2| and the reduced portion 23 there is a conicalshoulder or flange 3|.

The slide cam 32 isslidably mounted in the slide cam bore 26, andincludes an enlarged cylindric head 33 slidably fitting in the enlargedbore portion 2|, and a reduced cylindric stem 34 4 v ends 26 of thetrunnions l3 for extending the same outwardly from the pivot block intothe yoke arm bores, and the slide cam shoulder 35 also operates as astop against the bore shoulder 3|.

The enlarged head 33 of the slide cam 32 abuts against the inner ends 36of the trunnions 3| for maintaining the same extended with their shanks29 in pivotal engagement with the yoke arm bores 21, as best shownin-Fig. 1.

In the assembled joint Hi, the slide cam stem 34 extends beyond thepivot block end face 24, and separable securing means are providedoperating between the slide cam and the pivot block for maintaining theslide cam in assembled position, the separable securing means includinga securing member laterally removable from one side of the joint l0, andas shown the securing means is in the form of a separable stop meansengaging the stem 34 outside of the pivot block II, and constituting acotter pin 31 in a transverse aperture 38 formed in the stem 34.

In the improved joint ID, the parts of which are thus held together bythe stop cotter pin 31,

. the slidecam 32 and the pivot pins 3 are free to rotate, creep, orfloat in use thereby equalizing wear.

The improved joint |0 thus described is very rapidly and quicklydisassembled by laterally removing the cotter pin 3'! sidewise from theslide cam stem 34 and moving the slide cam 32 towards the pivot blockend face 22 and out of the pivot block H to the position shown in Fig. 3in which the trunnions l3 may retract and disconnect from the yoke arms26, whereby the joint l0 may be disassembled without angling or movingendwise either of the yokes l2, since after retraction of the trunnionsl3 from connection with the yoke arms 26, only a lateral movement ofeach yoke is required to separate thesame from the pivot block.

The assembly of the joint I0 is very quickly carried out by reversingthe above operations for disassembly.

I claim:

1. In universal joint construction, two yokes,-

.secting the inner ends of the block trunnion bores, a slide cam in theslide cam bore, the

slide cam including an enlarged head and a reduced stem and a taperedshoulder between the head and'the stem, the inner ends of the trunnionsabutting the enlarged cam head and the cam shoulder being opposed by thebore shoulder and the cam stem extending outside of the pivot block whenthe joint is assembled, and means for maintaining the slide cam inassembled position including a stop member separably engaging the camstem outside the pivot block and removable from one side oi the camstem.

2. In separable pivot joint construction for a universal Joint and thelike, a yoke including a set of U arms, a pivot'biock located betweenthe arms 01' the yoke, the pivot block having formed therein a set oitwo opposite alined trunnion bores, one trunnion bore for each 01 thetwo yoke arms, each yoke arm having formed therein a trunnion boreregistering with one oif the pivot block trunnion bores, the pivot blockhavshoulder between the stem and the head, the

trunnions'extending from the pivot block into theyoke arm bores andtheinner ends of the sition including sidewise separable stop meansengaging the stem outside of the pivot block and being removable fromone side of the stem.

3. In separable pivot joint construction for a universal joint and thelike, a pivot block, the

pivot block having formed therein a trunnion" bore and a shoulderedslide cam bore intersecting and communicating with the inner end of thetrunnion bore, a trunnion in the trunnion bore, and a slide cam in theslide cam bore, the 4 slide cam including an enlarged head and a taperedshoulder at one side of the head, the trunnion extending from the pivotblock and the inner end of the trunnion abutting against the enlargedhead of the cam and the shoulder of the cam being opposed by theshoulder of the cam here when the joint is assembled, and separablesecuring means operating between the slide cam ROBERT woNDERLY.

